Safety-lock for gas-cocks



NoModeL I P. LAWRENCE.

- SAFETY LOCK FOR GAS 000m. I No. 488,737. --Patented Dec. 27, 1892.

Nrrnn ST ATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK LAWRENCE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY-LOCK FOR GAS-COCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 488,737, dated December 27, 1892.

Application filed July 21, 1892. Serial N0.440,811. (N0 model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK LAWRENCE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Safety-Locks for Gas-Cocks; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of safety devices for gas cocks in which a spring controlled lever is connected with the key, and has its upper end adapted to engage the notches in the lower flange of the valve seat.

My invention consists in theimproved construction and arrangement of the locking lever which I shall hereinafter fully describe and specifically point out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a locking lever for gas cocks so constructed and arranged as to lie in the most convenient position with relation to the key, adapting it to be operated by the ordinary position of the hand in grasping the key, said leverbeing accurate in its movements whereby the general result is effected of permitting the easy operation of the key and its positive lockin g when the valve is shut ed on either side.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention,Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the locking lever free. Fig. 2 is an edge view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the lever locked. Fig. at is a horizontal section on lines 00-00 of Figs. 2 and 3.

A represents the gas cook having at its central portion the usual seat for therotary valve or plug B, the lower portion of which is provided with the usual key C. The lower portion of the valve seat has a downwardly extending annular flange a in which at opposite sides are made the notches a. That portion of the flange on one side of the notches is thinner than that on the other side of the notches, as shown, whereby the ends of the thicker portion form limiting stops of one wall of each notch, as will be presently eX- plained.

D is the locking lever. This consists of a plate, the lower portion of which is widened, presenting practicallythe same contour as the key C, and the upper portion is narrowed and provided With a detent d which is adapted to ride upon the thinner portion of the flange a and to fall into the notches a of said flange. This locking lever opposes or lies parallel with the face of the key C, and it is pivotally connected with said key so that when its lower portion is pressed upon it will turn about its pivotal connection and withdraw its detent d from the notches a. The lower end of the locking lever is provided with a stop piece at extending inwardly toward the face of the key and adapted to come in contact therewith. Thelength of this stop is such that it will allow the detent d of the lever sufficient movement to rise out of the notches a and to ride upon the thinner portion of the flange but said stop 01 by coming in contact with the key, will not allow the detent d to rise high enough to pass the stop walls of the notches formed by the thicker portion of the flange a, so that the key cannot possibly beturned beyond its closed position in turning off the gas.

The pivotal connection between the looking lever and the key may be of any suitable character; but in order to enable me to provide these locking levers as articles of man ufactu re ready for use and application to any key, I prefer to arrange them as follows:-A small plate E has up-turned' end ears 6, and the wide portion of the locking lever D has down-turned end ears d which overlap the ears e of plate E. A pivot pin F passes through these overlapping ears from side to side, and a spring G is seated upon this pin, and bears with its ends upon the opposing plate and lever in such a manner as to hold the detent of the lever normally in its locked position in the notches a. This arrangement is sec'ured to the key, simply by fastening the plate E by soldering or otherwise upon the face of the key. It will be observed that the pivotal center of the locking lever is sufficiently high to throw the pressure below it whereby there will be no difficulty in operating said lever. The position of the lever and its shape are such that no change Whatever is required in the position of the hand of the operator in working the gas key. He grasps the latter in precisely the same manner as customary, his thumb or finger, as the case may be, pressing on one side against the key and on the other side against the locking lever. This pressure will release the detent d of the locking lever from the notches a, and then a movement of the key will turn the cock open. From its open position he can turn it either way and when the detent 01 reaches a notch the springF will throw it into engagement with said notch. But should the operator fail to relieve the pressure on the locking lever when the notch is reached he cannot go beyond the notch, because of the stop Wall of the notch against which the detent (1 comes in contact and from which it cannot escape, by reason of the stop d at the other end of the lever coming in contact Withthe key. 7

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is- 1. In a gas cock, the combination of the flange at having the notches, one Wall of each of which forms a stop, said flange being of reduced diameter at one side between said walls the key of the gas cock, the locking lever opposing the face of the key and pivotally secured thereto, the detent at the upper end of said lever adapted to ride upon the reduced portion of the flange, to engage the notches of the flange, and to be limited by their stop walls, and the stop d of said lever coming in contact with the key for limiting the pivotal movement of the lever, substantially as herein described.

2. In a gas cock, the flange at having the opposing notches with back Walls forming stops, and having one of its sides between these walls made thinner than the opposite side the key of the gas cook, the locking 1ever pivotally connected with the face of the key, the spring for controlling said lever, the

detent at the upper end of the lever engag ing the notches and limited by their back walls, said detent adapted to ride upon the thinned portion of the flange and the stop d at the other end of the lever coming in con- FRANK LAWRENCE.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, J. A. BAYLEss. 

